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15 Books Recommended by Agape Counselors
In lieu of our typical Featured Article this month, we polled our counselors and comprised a list of books that our counselors recommend. Of course there are many many books out there that our counselors recommend to clients regularly and we could never cover them all in one post, so there will be more to follow next month. Below are the first 15 books on the list. To find them on Amazon, click on the pictures. Where Is God When It Hurts? by Phillip Yancey This is a wonderful book that helps people who are wrestling with how to handle a relationship with a sovereign and loving God in…
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Do Your Relationships Measure Up As Healthy or Toxic?
By JuJuane Easter-Hutchins, MA, LPC Have you ever found yourself wondering if a friend, familial, romantic and/or business relationship is one that is healthy for you? Are you involved in a relationship that leaves you feeling drained and overwhelmed? Is your relationship toxic? And if so, how would you know? The Bible has been referred to as Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. This God-inspired book provides us with the knowledge needed to live a life pleasing to our Lord. The Bible is all-inclusive and supplies truth to guide our thoughts, behaviors and actions as we seek to glorify God here on Earth. The Bible teaches us how to exist; we…
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Abandonment, Self-Sabotage, & Relationships
Have you ever found yourself sabotaging relationships of your own or known someone who has? Self-sabotage is a common struggle that individuals may face in the process of building and maintaining relationships. Generally speaking, self-sabotage stems from self-abandonment. In other words, an individual struggles with loving themselves. Throughout our life, the more we struggle with self-limiting, self-defeating core beliefs of being unlovable and unworthy, the more we begin to become angry with ourselves and then actually abandon ourselves. These core beliefs, however, are the result of our fear of being abandoned by others, which might result in our sabotaging relationships, therefore confirming our core beliefs and fears. Now don’t get…
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Neurochemistry of Committed Relationships
Researchers have noted that there are three stages to the development of love, each with their own set of neurochemical responses. Different “happy chemicals” are released during different stages. Since God made our brains and designed them to meet the needs we have in life, our brains have been specially wired for these stages of falling in love and staying in love. For the purpose of this article, we’ll touch on the first two stages, and concentrate in particular on the amazing chemicals in the emotional attachment stage of a relationship. Stage 1: “Romantic Feelings During this stage, your partner can seem “perfect” for you because all the crazy endorphins we…